Top Ten - CL trebles

Following Nicklas Bendtner's hat-trick heroics on Tuesday, skysports.com takes a look at a few other notable European trebles

Last updated: 10th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Andy Cole
Michael Owen Liverpool FC Haka
Faustino Asprilla
Andriy Voronin Yossi Benayoun
Thierry Henry Arsenal Roma 2002
Mike Newell
Wayne Rooney Manchester United Fenerbahce Champions League 2004
Nicklas Bendtner celebrates Arsenal v Porto
Michael Owen celeb v Wolfsburg
Didier Drogba Chelsea Levski Sofia 2006

With the taunts of many of his own supporters still ringing in his ears on Tuesday, Nicklas Bendtner offered the perfect response to the recent criticism which has come his way with a UEFA Champions League hat-trick against Porto.

The Dane is just the latest in a long line of British-based players to notch a treble in Europe, though, with some familiar names having trodden that path in years gone by.

Bagging the matchball is just about as good as it gets for world class frontmen, with the memento giving them something by which to remember their remarkable achievements.

Notching three times in continental competition is an even greater feat, with the best defences in Europe standing in the way of those charged with the task of generating attacking intent.

Here then skysports.com salutes a selection of those to have made their mark in European football's premier club competition while donning the colours of Premier League teams.

Mike Newell v Rosenborg - 1995

Newell may be the only non-international to feature on our list, but he is the man who can lay claim to the fastest Champions League hat-trick in the history of the competition. His moment in the sun came as the curtain came down on a wretched campaign for Blackburn in 1995. A 4-1 victory over Rosenborg saw them salvage something from a miserable showing in Europe, with Newell most definitely the star of the show. He took just nine minutes to find the target on three occasions, notching two with his feet and one with his head.

Faustino Asprilla v Barcelona - 1997

The heady days of the late 90s saw Newcastle strutting their stuff on the biggest stage, with Kevin Keegan's troops blessed with an abundance of attacking talent. One of their most memorable moments came during an epic contest with Spanish giants Barcelona at St James' Park. The Magpies saw off their Catalan rivals 3-2 on Tyneside, with Colombian frontman Asprilla at his mercurial best. The gangly South American, who was filling in for the injured Alan Shearer, bagged a 22-mimute hat-trick, converting a first-half penalty and expertly nodding home two pinpoint crosses from Keith Gillespie.

Andy Cole v Anderlecht - 2000

Manchester United kicked off their 2000/01 Champions League style in a ruthless mood, disposing of Anderlecht 5-1 at Old Trafford. The five-star Red Devils took just 15 minutes to get into their stride, as Cole steered home a wonderfully flighted cross from Ryan Giggs. Denis Irwin and Teddy Sheringham then got in on the act before Cole reclaimed centre stage. He casually flicked in his second of the game after the interval and met a David Beckham cross in the 71st minute to send a looping header into the back of the net and seal a notable success for Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

Michael Owen v FC Haka - 2001

Still a young buck forging quite a reputation, Owen grabbed his first Champions League hat-trick against awestruck Finnish opposition in 2001. Liverpool ran riot in a qualifying contest stroll, running out 5-0 winners. Owen stole the show with a second half hat-trick which put Gerard Houllier's side well on course for the group stages. He latched onto a Jari Litmanen pass to slot in his first, rounded the keeper for a simple second and drilled home a low drive to complete a comfortable night's work.

Thierry Henry v Roma - 2002

Set to become Arsenal's all-time greatest goalscorer, Henry was at his fleet-footed best in the Eternal City against Roma. A 3-1 win on Italian soil was some achievement for the Gunners, and they were led all the way by their Gallic striker. They opened their Group B account in sensational style, despite falling behind early on to a fourth-minute effort from Antonio Cassano. Arsenal responded to that setback almost immediately, with Henry silencing a partisan crowd. The French forward then fired the Gunners in front on 70 minutes, before putting the seal on a faultless personal display with a sublime free-kick five minutes later.

Wayne Rooney v Fenerbahce - 2004

Everyone knew there was something special about Rooney when he signed for Manchester United in 2004, and he did not disappoint when he made his Red Devils bow. Unfortunate Fenerbahce stood in his way that night, with the ridiculously-talented teenager tearing the Turks to shreds in a 6-2 United win. First of all the England ace ran beyond the Turkish defence in the 17th minute to dink over the onrushing Rustu Recber before doubling his tally with a long-range effort 11 minutes later. Rooney ensured he was taking the matchball home as he scored his third with a brilliant free-kick nine minutes after half-time in the Group D encounter.

Didier Drogba v Levski Sofia - 2006

Drogba became the first Chelsea player to notch three times in European competition since Gianluca Vialli in 1997 when he put Levski Sofia to the sword in 2006. A tricky trip to Bulgaria provided a potential banana skin to the Blues' Champions League aspirations, but they negotiated the fixture with consummate ease. They had already struck the woodwork twice by the time Drogba took charge, as he rifled home seven minutes before the break. He rolled in a Wayne Bridge pass to make it two seven minutes into the second half and turned in a Frank Lampard shot later on as Chelsea eased to a 3-1 victory.

Yossi Benayoun v Besiktas - 2007

The class of 2007 showed the current crop of Liverpool 'stars' how to successfully negotiate your way out of trouble when they staged a memorable Great Escape from the Champions League group stages after looking dead and buried at one point. The catalyst for their late burst into the knockout rounds was an emphatic 8-0 victory over Turkish whipping boys Besiktas. At the forefront of that success was Israeli playmaker Benayoun, who bagged three of the goals. His first came in the 32nd minute after being set up by Andriy Voronin and a second followed in the 53rd minute when Besiktas goalkeeper Arikan could only parry a John Arne Riise effort to leave a tap-in. Benayoun completed his hat-trick three minutes later when following up after a Steven Gerrard free-kick.

Michael Owen v Wolfsburg 2009

English football's goal-poacher extraordinaire makes his second appearance in our rundown, with Owen having tamed Wolfsburg with a trademark treble in December 2009. Hardly a regular for Manchester United ahead of the trip to Germany, the experienced goal-getter made his case to Sir Alex Ferguson in the best possible manner. First he glanced a free header past a motionless Diego Benaglio shortly before the interval to edge United in front. Edin Dzeko levelled for Wolfsburg, but Owen poked home a cross from Gabriel Obertan and raced clear to lob in a delicate third to hand the Red Devils an impressive 3-1 success on the road.

Nicklas Bendtner v Porto - 2010

A miserable showing against Burnley on Sunday had many questioning whether Bendtner would be able to locate a cow's backside with a banjo. However, the Dane silenced those critics in style with a well-taken treble against Porto in midweek. With Arsenal trailing 2-1 heading into the second leg of their last-16 tie, Bendtner helped to turn the tie on its head inside 25 minutes. First he snapped up a loose ball to poke home, before bundling in from close range following good work by Andrey Arshavin. He then completed his metamorphosis from villain to hero with virtually the last kick of the game when he calmly stroked a late penalty into the bottom corner.

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